eriko kasahara curates a blooming funeral hall and café in japan

a bucolic place to gather and remember

curating garden interiors within a unique set of programming, japanese designer eriko kasahara presents her BLOOMY’s flower café and funeral hall in saitama. the dual nature of the project exemplifies the distinctive ways which plantlife can transform the built space. the designer embraces the combined functions of the project to offer a space for the community to connect and to cherish the memories of loved ones together. kasahara’s design demonstrates a new perspective for a venue built for community support.

the entrance to the flower café | images by nacasa & partners inc.

bloomy’s flower shop café by eriko kasahara

with her flower café, eriko kasahara (see more here) recalls a ‘winter garden enclosed by glass.’ the interior promotes wellness among visitors and celebrates a sensitive relationship with the environment. while the plants serve to purify the air, promoting physical and mental wellbeing, the walls of the space are coated in an eco-friendly KEIM mineral paint (see more here) which is absorbed into the surface. the flower shop café is fast becoming a part of the community where locals are invited to gather to read, work, or simply relax.

the café greets visitors with its garden foyer

the lush atmosphere of the funeral hall

commenting on the design of her verdant funeral hall, eriko kasahama tells designboom: ‘in japan, funeral homes are located separately from other facilities and used only for ‘end of life’ services.’ breaking this convention, she introduces a venue space which doubly serves as a place just for the community to gather and spend time. the entire interior is wrapped in a warm wooden finish, while the full-height glass walls are cloaked with a curtain of greenery hanging from above.

funeral attendees enter the serene hall through a separate entrance where they are at once greeted with this vertical cascade of lush green, an experience which stands as a pleasant contrast to the solemn atmosphere of a typical funeral home.

friendly interiors are filled with plant life